Satema Lopez

Satema Lopez is a recent alumna of the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA). In June 2025 she earned her Bachelor of Arts degree in education and social transformation with a minor in American Indian studies. Her career goals include becoming a physician-scientist and a professor who serves Indigenous patients. Satema is currently in a gap-year and is taking this time to support the Central Valley Native community by working with the Wukchumni Yokuts tribe in her hometown. In Fall 2026, she will continue her studies as a graduate student in the University of Southern California’s (USC) Postbaccalaureate Premedical Program.

Practicing beading with family and friends in the place where I was raised is sacred to me. I first learned how to bead at the end of my high school senior year, and I was able to strengthen my beading technique in college. Upon graduating from college, I returned home to the Central Valley to be with family and friends. During this time, I have been inspired to create unique beadwork projects, such as this wool fedora hat with a beaded rim. I am submitting this beadwork because it is a form of self-expression and a continuation of traditional art.